Cleaning apparatus for lamp shades having a rotary support, fluid spray, and drier



July 18, 1950 w. c. DOUGLASS 1 2,515,702 CLEANING APPARATUS FOR LAMP SHADES HAVING A ROTARY SUPPORT, FLUID SPRAY, AND DRIER Filed May 31, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 \v k Z1! 15 1 15'17 & ATTORNEY W. C. DOUGLASS CLEANING APPARATUS FOR LAMP SHADES HAVING A ROTARY SUPPORT, FLUID SPRAY AND DRIER July 18, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 31, 1946 INVENTO R WALLACE GDouGLAss BY Q AP TORNEY Patented July 18, 3950 :UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFlCE CLEANING APPARATUS FOR LAMP SHADES HAVING A ROTARY SUPPORT, FLUID SPRAY, AND DRIER Wallace C. Douglass, Tuckahoe, N. Y.

Application May 31, 1946, Serial No. 673,422

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to cleaning devices or apparatus and particularly to apparatus for supporting and cleaning any desired articles to be cleaned and the particular object or article selected for illustration is a lamp shade. It should be understood, however, that the apparatus may be used for supporting and cleaning many other articles, which cannot be immersed, by spraying the articles with the cleaning fluid and removing the cleaning fluid by spinning or rotating the article cleaned.

Lamp shades formed of silk or similar textile material are ,diflicult to clean satisfactorily by the usual cleaning methods since in drying they become streaked and rusted. For this reason most cleaners refuse to clean lamp shades and those who do clean them charge at a high rate because of the amount of hand labor required.

This invention has for its salient object to provide simple, practical and eflicient apparatus for easily, quickly and effectively cleaning and drying articles to be cleaned.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character described so constructed and arranged that practically no hand labor is required and the articles will be cleaned and dried without streaking.

Further objectsof the'invention will appear from the following specification taken in connection with the drawings which form a part of this application; and in which Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of the apparatus constructed" in accordance with the invention;

Fig; 2 is a detail sectional elevation of the control valve,'this view being taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modified construction of shade mounting; and

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the shade supporting and clamping means In the particular form of the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 there is shown a casing H] which is mounted in a base I l which supports a motor M below the casing.

The motor M has an upwardly extending shaft l2 on which is fixed the hub l3 of a support M which is preferably in the form of a spider having arms [5 extending. radially of the hub l3 and shaft l2. The hub I3 is mounted on a thrust bearing Hi. The arms I5 are provided on their upper surfaces with a layer ll of cushioning material, such as soft rubber. -A suitable packing orgasket is. provided at l8 around the shaft l2 to prevent leakage of the cleaning and rinsing fluids. H

It will be noted that the bottom of the casing slopes downwardly toward the outer edge and an outlet pipe 20 is connected to thisulower por-' tion of the casing for draining out the cleaning is mounted on the support with the usual washer or collar 2! of the shade disposed over the shaft- IZ and secured to the shaft by a clip 22 having a reduced or inwardly bent portion 23 engaging an annular groove 24 in the upper end of the shaft l2. 1

The top of the casing is closed by a closure member or cover 30 which is suitably secured to the top by means of a toggle clamping means 3|, one of these clamping means being shown in Fig. 1. It will be understood that otherv similar. clamps may be used or the cover may, if desired, be hinged to the top of the casing.

The. closure member or cover 30 has secured thereto a conduit 35 which extends down into the casing when the cover is secured to the casing and is provided with perforations 36 through which the cleaning fluid is sprayed on thewall of the lamp shade.

Suitable means is provided for conducting to and through the conduit 35 cleaning fluid, rinsing fluid and drying air. In the form ofthe invention shown there is illustrated a valve which is secured to a flexible hose or pipe. 31 which is connected at its lower end to the upper end. of the conduit 35. The valve comprises a casing, or housing 40 having an outlet conduit 4| come municating with the pipe 31 and having a central laterally extending portion 42 communicating with a conduit 43 formed in a rotatable, sub-; stantially cylindrical, valve member 44 mounted in the valve casing 40. The rotatable valve member 44 has a spindle 45 extending through adapted respectively to conduct tothe casin cleaning fluid, rinsing fluid or water, and hot air for drying. The wall of the casing is provided with openings in alinement with the conduits .ill,v

5! and 52.

When the valve is turned to the position shown in Fig. 1 and indicated as oflf' no fluid will be conducted, through the valve to the pipe 31,v

When the valve handle is turned in a clockwise direction to aline the conduit 43 with the conduit 4| or to the position indicated by the term "soap," cleaning fluid will be conducted tlirough' the valve to the pipe 31. It should beunderstood that any desired fluid may be used.

When the handle is turned to aline the conduit 3 43 with the pipe or to the position indicated on Fig. 1 by the term water, rinsing fluid will be conducted through the valve to the pipe 31.

Whenthe valve handle is turned to aline the conduit43 with the :conduit 52, air, and preferably warm air, under pressure will be conducted through the valve to the pipe 31.

It will be understood that suitable pressure means will be provided for pumping cleaning fluid, rinsing fluid and hot air through the valve to the pipe 31 and conduit 35.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a slightlydifferentform of clamping structure and support for the lamp shade. The motor M is mounted-on a base 51 similar to the base ll in Fig. 1. Above {the base 5| is mounted a supporting structure or frame 52 having .a central opening 53 which receives a Sleeve .54. .Thesleeve'bt i's slidable axiallyjin the pening53 and .onmotor shaft 55 which extends upwardly therethrough. A packing 5! surrounds hesleevejfi andis-heldrin position by a threaded sleeve 58. ,Thegsleravephas asllpporting table or hub .50 on 'theperiphery of which are mounted arms ,Bl, preferably resilient, and on the outer ends of the arms -ismounted a ring 62 covered with .Qnshiopingmaterial B3.

.Shaft155 ,issplinedto thesleeve, as shown at 5.6nso :that 'the.s leev.e-.can slide axially on shaft 55 but will be driven thereby. A packing '65 is provided at ,the entrance to the central opening or bore 66 through .thehub or support 50 and sleeve I54. I

The,s1eeve 5A is ,normally..forced upwardly on shaitilii .byea sprin 16.1 which. surround the shaft 55.-and is ositioned between .a r ller .68 adj s ably mounted on shaft .55 and.thelower end of sleeve ,54. 'I-hegupper end of shaft 5,5 is threaded, asshowniatfiiianda .dishedspider .1 :1 comprising arms 1.11 and a .cusliioneil rin Hat the ends of the arms 'islmounted 0n the threaded portion 69. A .wingmut 13 ..ensases the spider 1t and-causes the ring l2'to press the arms 14 of the lamp shade 15 against the rin 62. The spring ,6! forces the sleeve 5.4,.hub.6.0,,arms. alhandrin 62 upwardly against thelampishade armsjl l. v

rfi in rantsof thevstrnctureshownin Figs. ,3 .and 4am the same-as those sh wn .in Figs. .11. and -2 .and. need .notbeiurther described.

During the operation of the valve the motor Mmillibelonerated,torotate the support Men lamp shade or. other article, clampedthereenand suitable .control means will .be provided for the motorsorthat thespeed of .the mo tpr may be vnriedas desired ,andthe ,motor will preferably bespeededunduring the ,dryin operation. .It ,will beevident thatasith ishadegis rotated and ,the cleaning. fluid is. sprayed thereon, in the mannenabovedescribed, thisfluid will-be iforcejd through the shade -by centrifugal, force and will dnopto the sumpvor Vlowerportion of the ,casing In vand be .drained therefrom, through the ipe dried the-shade or article .cleaned will not be streak d as in: the usual cleanin operations and.

the wire will notrust due to. inefficient drying.

Although one specific embodiment of the invention has been particularly shown and described it will be understood that the invention is capable of modificatio n, and that changes in the construction-and in gthe arrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invenbase mounted -on'said shaft for rotation there- Withand spaced from the bottom of the container, centrally located releasable devices interfittingly en ed with said .shaf above aid s ppor .f r neasing the central .portioncrajlamp shadeand clamping said shade ,on saidsuppor th spac in the container ,above and laterally beyond the support ,beingfree and unobstructed, andmeans f 01: conducting cleamng-andrinsing fluid and air into said container. and againsttheshade mounted on said snllpor't.

12. Cleaning and drying apparatus comprising a. container, arotatableshaft extending into the container and disposed centrally therein, a supportmounted. on the; shaft in ,the lowerportion of the .container ,and comprising arms extending substantially radially from the shaft, ,a .clamp axially adjustably mounted on the shaft above theisupport for engaging the central ,pQ ition of an article andclarnping the article onthe shaft andsupporting arms, said shaft, clampeand arms forming ,thBEOlB supportior the articleandthe space around the article in the ,,container being free and unobstructed, .means ,for .conducting cleaning and rinsing fiuidagainst.thevarticleso supported, and .means ,forrotating the .shaft and support in ,the container.

,3. vCleaning ,and ,,drying apparatus -.a s in .claim 1, WhBIEimthgIQIQQSahIG devices includea spring clip and an annular groovein the shaft'adjacent its upper: end into whichiportions of ,the.clip ,are releasably ,received.

.4. ,Cleaning ,and I drying apparatus .as in .claim 3, wherein the end ofthe shaft.above the support is threadediandsaid releasable-devices include a dished spider looselymountedon the. threadedwend of the shaft over the lamp shade and :a ,nut threaded 'on ,the shaft to move the SPiderinto holding engagement with .-the lamp :shade being cleaned.

WIALLACE C. DOUGLASS.

REFERENCES CITED I The following references -are bf .record in the 

